Finance Minister Hon. Felix Mutati toured the Zambian Breweries’ new state-of-the-art maltings plant in the Lusaka South Multi Facility Economic Zone (LS-MFEZ) this week to familiarise himself with the operations ahead of its formal opening by H.E. President Edgar Chagwa Lungu later this month.
The new US$33 million plant is part of the group’s long-term investment plan in Zambia and is set to boost purchases of barley from local farmers as a key ingredient in the company’s popular Mosi, Castle and Castle Lite lagers.
“Zambian Breweries is a perfect example of the public-private partnership (PPP) and a role model of industrialisation, value addition and import substitution,” said Mr Mutati
He said the company could make more money through the export of the surplus barley, especially that it was currently sourcing its ingredients through local farmers, which had in turn empowered those suppliers.
During a presentation by Zambian Breweries, Mr Mutati noted the need for industrialisation within the MFEZ. He was also happy that Zambian Breweries was contributing to employment creation and the company’s support to small-scale farmers that were growing the ingredients for its beer production.
The company’s multi-million dollar investment in the maltings plant is a component of the group’s wider commitment to long-term investment, spurred by the government’s recent reduction in excise tax on clear beer. In the last five years Zambian Breweries, National Breweries and Heinrich’s Syndicate have invested more than US$300 million in long-term capital projects.
The group’s investments are helping it to grow production volumes, thus increasing employment opportunities, enabling the company to buy more agricultural commodities such as barley, maize, sorghum and cassava from local suppliers and boost sales, thus increasing overall tax revenue to the government.
The new facility – the first of its kind in Zambia – will enable locally grown barley to be processed into malt, the main ingredient for clear beer, for the first time in Zambia, creating more business for farmer suppliers who provide the brewery with barley thus spurring economic growth, job creation and national development, explained Zambian Breweries Director of Corporate Affairs Ezekiel Sekele.
“We are working with barley farmers at Chanyanya, Kaleya and Kasisi. We are happy that barley is grown locally and are processing it within the country. This is an empowerment to the local people and also cuts importation cost of products that can be grown locally. This also has the direct benefit of a knock-on effect as the products are becoming more affordable,” he said.
Construction of the plant began in January 2015 and employed 1,000 workers at peak of the construction.. Now that the project is complete, Zambian Breweries expects to recruit some 50 permanent workers.
The plant has a maximum capacity of 15,000 tonnes of finished malt per year, creating a surplus over the brewery’s current demand of 10,000 tonnes and thus producing excess supply that can be exported.
The barley will be stored in ten massive 1,500 tonne-silos, each 32 metres high, which involved the country’s largest single pour of concrete – 1,800 cubic metres – for their foundations.

20 COMMENTS

Our Minister is happy about beer plant but is easily forgetting that is destroying the youth. he was suppose to be happy with sports facilities. where our children should spend more time than drinking beer not something which destroying someone’s health and make our health budget high.

BA LT THE MORE EFFECTIVE NEWS ON THIS TOPIC WOULD HAVE BEEN THROUGH PICTURES. THAT WOULD HAVE EVEN MARKETED ZB INTERNATIONALLY, FOR BUSINESS. WHICH IS GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE NATION. BUT KNOWING YOUR MYOPIA- IT IS ROCKET SCIENCE TO YOU.

A few weeks ago, it was the Minister of Commerce celebrating the reopening of a Zambian Breweries plant. Today, it is Minister of Finance. Tomorrow, it will be The president at ZB. Meanwhile, as they celebrate a South African externalisation of profits, Zambians are stampeding for food. While inebriating the nation, particularly our youth, and while pilling filth with dumpy bottles on every country’s street, this South African company is celebrated with powerful delegates, little or no environmental protective orders, and zero censures for the negative social & moral (labor) impact it makes. I guess Jameson rules!

Imagine, he is even very happy about this company condemning people to their early graves by promoting and reducing the price of beer instead of reducing the price of meal meal. Junta is the order pf the day in most compounds in the country. And now with the introduction of Chagwa big mosi and castle it is disaster. This type of management is totally unheard of in the history of this country. Make food expensive and reduce on beer and with these bonanza business people have lost all hope and are seating next to these machines so that whoever wins they scramble on a few coins to try their luck. Shame.

Think Employment creation, think empowerment of citizens in the value chain, think general development. This is a positive development and a big up to Zambia Breweries. There are thousands who drink beer responsibly and not all of us are chakolwas. Think social enhancement through socialisation. Think increased government revenue through taxation. This is a definite PLUS++

What has happened to the Ministry for Commerce Trade and Industry! Surely this is more in line with those functions. An entire Minister goes on tour not with the CEO but a Corporate Affairs director (glorified name for persons responsible for nothing) and a brewer (glorified as technical director). Dora was replaced as she was investigated and appeared before the Harris led inquest. ECL we know that you know the right thing to do is to rest both Luo and Mwanakatwe until their matters are disposed of. Your MOF would have been of use on your tour to Muchinga .We cannot have poor administration continue..2021 Zamfo under new management.